Ambient Condition Detector with Processing of Incoming Audible Commands Followed by Speech Recognition

ABSTRACT

A monitoring system includes at least one detector having a housing which carries at least one ambient condition sensor. Control circuits carried by the housing are coupled to the sensor. A separate audio input transducer carried by the housing is coupled to the control circuits, wherein the circuits include signal processing circuits, coupled to the transducer. The signal processing circuits cancel predetermined audio received from the transducer and output a processed speech signal which is coupled to speech recognition circuitry. The speech recognition circuitry recognizes selected speech to implement predetermined functions.

FIELD

The application pertains to ambient condition detectors such as smoke, gas detectors, or the like. More particularly, the application pertains to such detectors which incorporate noise cancelation circuits and speech recognition circuitry to detect incoming verbal commands which direct the unit to perform a predetermined function.

BACKGROUND

Smoke detector alarms may be triggered by cooking, incense, or other sources that are not dangerous. Often the smoke detector is on the ceiling and requires a ladder to reach. This is inconvenient and potentially dangerous. In addition, nothing is more annoying than going to bed and hearing a low battery chirp.

Another problem is once a low battery chirp occurs, because it is so infrequent it is often very difficult to identify where the chip is coming from, particularly with multiple devices in a home or business.

Silencing smoke detectors is currently done by pressing a button on the detector to mute the device for a period of time, or in some cases by a remote control. In all cases you need to either go to the device or find the remote to silence the alarm or low battery chirp. Often the quickest way to silence a false alarm is to open the case and remove the battery. Removing the battery is dangerous because if the battery is not replaced, no protection is provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary detector; and

FIG. 2 is a system including a plurality of detectors as in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While disclosed embodiments can take many different forms, specific embodiments hereof are shown in the drawings and will be described herein in detail with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles hereof, as well as the best mode of practicing same, and is not intended to limit the claims hereof to the specific embodiment illustrated.

Various embodiments of ambient condition detectors are discussed herein. Those of skill will understand that these are exemplary only and other types of ambient condition detectors come within the spirit and scope hereof.

By adding speech recognition to a detector, a user can silence the detector quickly and easily with nothing more than their voice. By adding speech recognition to a smoke detector, or in the case of a detector that is part of a speech enabled security panel or control unit, the ability to mute sounds from a detector verbally from the security panel or voice enabled keypad would be simple, intuitive and very convenient. Being able to stop a low battery chip without getting out of bed would be a welcome feature.

The speech recognition enabled smoke detector or security system could identify a key word such as “Hello Smoke Detector” to recognize a command is coming and eliminate false triggers. The device would recognize a number of commands and act on them such as: ‘Quiet’ to mute the device for a period of time. This time would vary based on the state of the smoke detector. For an alarm silence the mute would be for, say, 15 minutes. For a low battery chirp the mute would be for, say, 8 hours to allow a good night sleep.

Other functions can include, ‘Find Low battery’ for a device having a low battery which could respond by rapid chirping so the device can be easily identified. Status or maintenance functions can also be implemented in noisy environments.

One method of recognizing speech commands while an alarm is in process would be to use ‘noise cancellation’ circuitry or processing. For example, cancellation, or subtraction (using either analog or digital techniques) could be implemented to delete the alarm audio from the microphone input of the device. The known alarm signature would be eliminated or suppressed and not be processed by the speech recognition circuitry. Advantageously, this processing would allow detection of an individual's speech command even in the presence of a high decibel active alarm. Those of skill will understand that a variety of noise cancelation circuits and processes could be used without departing from the spirit and scope hereof.

In the case of a speech enabled security system the same approach could be taken as above. In addition, since a microphone could be located near the alarm panel or near a speech enabled keypad and displaced from the smoke or gas detectors, the physical separation can be used to advantage. In this case an acoustic beam forming microphone array (two or more microphones) could be used to attenuate a high decibel alarm from one direction and the detector or system control unit could accept an individual's voice from a different location than the location where the alarm originated.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary detector 10. The components of detector 10 are carried by a housing 12 and include one or more ambient condition sensors 14 from a class that includes at least smoke, fire, gas, temperature, humidity, and motion sensors, all without limitation. Other types of sensors come within the spirit and scope hereof.

Signals from sensors 14 are coupled to control circuits 16 which could be implemented in part with hard wired circuitry and in part with a programmable processor 16 a and associated control software 16 b.

Housing 12 also carries an audio input transducer, such as a microphone, 20. Signals from microphone 20 can be coupled to signal processor 22 which can carry out noise canceling functions. Signal processor 22 could be implemented with hardwired circuitry in part and in part with a programmable processor and executable control software such as 16, b. Processed audio can be coupled, via line 22 a to speech recognition circuitry 24. Output signals, from speech recognition circuitry 24, indicative of commands or requests for a service as described above, can be coupled on line 24 a to control circuits 16 for implementation.

Detector 10, in another embodiment can include an audio output device 18, for example a speaker or a piezo based tonal output device. Device 18 can be driven by control circuits 16, via signal path 18 a. Additionally, this driving signal, for example an output voltage, can be coupled, via signal path 18 b, as an input to signal processing circuitry 22. In this configuration, signal processing circuitry 22 receives two audio inputs, audio from microphone 20, and drive signals to output device 18. Since signal processor 22 now has two inputs to use in carrying out a noise canceling function, incoming microphone voice, from a local user received at microphone 20, can more accurately be separated from the ambient noise picked up by microphone 20 as well as audio output from device 18, which might be synthetic speech or a tonal output than is the case where only a single input, from microphone 20 is available.

Control circuits 16 can communicate, via communications circuits 28 with other detectors or with a system control unit via a wireless medium 28 a, or, a wired medium 28 b as would be understood by those of skill in the art. The detector 10 can be Internet enabled and via medium 28 a can communicate using one or more computer networks with other similar detectors or system control units as discussed in more detail relative to FIG. 2.

Those of skill will understand that a variety of hardware and/or software based devices can be used to implement the noise canceling signal processing circuitry 22. All such variations come within the spirit and scope hereof.

Those of skill will understand that a variety of hardware and/or software based devices can be used to implement the speech recognition circuitry 24. All such variations come within the spirit and scope hereof.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 a plurality of detectors 10-1, -2 . . . -n each of which is substantially identical to the detector 10 can be installed in a region R being monitored. The detectors, such as 10-I, can communicate wirelessly, directly with one another, or, internet I. A displaced system control unit 30 can be in communication with the detectors 10-i via wired or wireless media such as internet I.

The system control unit 30 can include and be coupled a local microphone 30 a. A voice enabled keypad 32 also with a microphone 32 a can be displaced from the control unit 30. Either or both of control unit 30 and keypad 32 can include respective noise cancelation, and/or speech recognition circuits as at 30 b, 32 b.

As described above, the two microphones can be used to attenuate high decibel audio, for example a fire alarm, from a detector such as 10-1 which is emitting non-speech audio so that speech identification circuitry in the unit 30 can determine an audible command or function request from an adjacent user U for purposes on controlling one or more of the detectors 10-i.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

Further, logic flows depicted in the figures do not require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirable results. Other steps may be provided, or steps may be eliminated, from the described flows, and other components may be add to, or removed from the described embodiments. 

1. A system comprising: at least one detector having a housing which carries at least one ambient condition sensor; control circuits carried by the housing, coupled to the sensor; and an audio input transducer carried by the housing, coupled to the control circuits, wherein the circuits include signal processing circuits, coupled to the transducer, the signal processing circuits cancel predetermined audio received from the transducer and output a processed speech signal which is coupled to speech recognition circuitry, the speech recognition circuitry recognizes selected speech to implement predetermined functions.
 2. A system as in claim 1 wherein the sensor is selected from a class which includes at least a smoke sensor, a gas sensor, a humidity sensor, a temperature sensor, a motion sensor, a position sensor, a humidity sensor, a flame sensor and a radiant energy sensor.
 3. A system as in claim 2 where the predetermined functions are selected from a class which includes at least a silence function responsive to an alarm condition, a mute function responsive to a low battery condition, a find low battery function, a maintenance function, a status function, or a transmit a function identifier to another detector.
 4. A system as in claim 3 where the detector includes communications circuitry coupled to the control circuits of the detector to couple alarm related information to a displaced location via at least one of a wired, or a wireless medium.
 5. A system as in claim 1 which includes a plurality of substantially identical, separate detectors which communicate with one another wirelessly.
 6. A system as in claim 5 where the detectors include communications circuitry coupled to the control circuits of each detector to couple alarm related information to other separate detectors via at least one of a wired, or a wireless medium.
 7. A system as in claim 6 which includes a system control unit in communication with the detectors.
 8. A system as in claim 7 wherein the system control unit can include at least one of, a regional fire or gas monitoring function, an HVAC control function, or a security monitoring function.
 9. A system as in claim 3 which includes a plurality of detectors wherein at least some of the detectors communicate wirelessly with one another.
 10. A system as in claim 9 wherein at least one of the detectors implements a function request received from a different detector.
 11. A system as in claim 10 which includes first and second spaced apart microphones to implement a noise canceling function.
 12. A system as in claim 11 where one of the microphones is coupled to a voice enabled control element.
 13. A system as in claim 12 where the control element is selected from a class which includes at least a keypad and a monitoring system control unit.
 14. A system as in claim 6 wherein at least one of the detectors implements a function request received from a different detector.
 15. A system as in claim 14 which includes first and second spaced apart microphones to implement a noise canceling function.
 16. A system as in claim 15 where one of the microphones is coupled to a voice enabled control element and where the control element is selected from a class which includes at least a keypad and a monitoring system control unit.
 17. A system as in claim 16 wherein the control element is coupled to at least one of a fire monitoring system, a gas monitoring system, and an HVAC control system.
 18. A system as in claim 10 where some detectors include an audible output device to emit at least one of a speech output, or, non-speech output.
 19. A system as in claim 18 where a drive signal for the audible output device is coupled to the signal processing circuits to provide a second input for noise canceling.
 20. A system comprising at least one detector having a housing which carries at least one ambient condition sensor, control circuits carried by the housing are coupled to the sensor, a separate audio input transducer carried by the housing is coupled to the control circuits, wherein the circuits include signal processing circuits, coupled to the transducer, the signal processing circuits cancel predetermined audio received from the transducer and output a processed speech signal which is coupled to speech recognition circuitry, the speech recognition circuitry recognizes selected speech to implement predetermined functions, and, an audible output device to emit at least one of a speech output, or, non-speech output, carried by the housing, where a drive signal for the audible output device is coupled to the signal processing circuits to provide a second input to implement a noise canceling function. 